The Fox in The National Museum of Wa

Definite pronoun 'The' establishes that this is a specific fox in a specific place

Despite the definite pronoun for 'The Fox', it should be noted that there is nothing special about this fox, it remains un-named and so could really be any fox

It's very literal, no surprises in store here

The only assumption one may make is that 'The Fox' is an exhibit, it seems to be alive in the poem though whether he is or isn't an exhibit remains somewhat ambiguous

Specific place, maybe worth noting

'He scans the frames but doesn't stop/ this fox who has come to the museum today'

FIRST & SECOND LINE, INCLUDED BOTH AS FEEL THE FIRST NEEDS THE SECOND FOR CLARITY

'scans the frames'

'scanning' is a very human action, not fox-like at all. Indeed, it is only in the next time that it becomes totally clear this is a fox. The effect of giving a fox human behaviors is, to an extent, comical.

The Fox is in the fossils and the folios, I cry/ The fox is in the Photography and the Folk studies department......../ The fox is in the flock/ The fox is in the flock.

Again FRICATIVE and repetition of 'Fo' sound builds rhythm like a tongue twister. It makes the stanza fast paced

Fast pace shows rapid movement from department to department, from age to age

Builds to a crescendo

Ends in repetition of 'The fox is in the flock'

What is 'the flock'? The exhibits maybe? The effect is chaotic implying danger and a desperate cry for help

What is 'the flock'? The exhibits maybe? The effect is chaotic implying danger and a desperate cry for help

Ends in repetition of 'The fox is in the flock'

'Under the skeleton of a whale he skedaddles/ the whalebone silver as bubble wrap'

alliteration again, cementing the phonic effect of this poem: 'skeleton' and 'skedaddles'

Side note, this is actually quite cute and charming imagery

'whalebone silver as bubblewrap'

Contrast of the three materials. Whalebone: strong and sturdy, ancient. Silver: Precious also ancient and pure. Bubblewrap: modern, flimsy and pop-able. All grouped together perhaps suggests how insignificant the whale is for the fox? Why would he care anyway?- He's a fox Theme of TIME

'greyblue the brush on him, this one who has seen so much/ blood on the bristles of his mouth,/ and on his suit of iron filings the air fans like silk'

'seen so much,/ blood'

THEME OF TIME 'seen so much', he's a fox. He doesn't care about what he's seen anyway. It's not scarring because he doesn't care. One infers this is a humorous reference to all he's passed in the museum.

Possibly one could let the 'much' and 'blood' become part of the same clause. It is only really the lines of poetry that separate these words. Blood perhaps suggests war's he's seen in the museum the irony is, again, that he does not care

'blood on the bristles of his mouth'

Plosive phonics, again, highlight the importance of sounds in this poems.

Sounds aggressive, fits with what the poem is saying about war and battle

'on his suit of iron filings the air fans like silk'

FRICATIVE, SOUNDS SOFT

'iron filings', assonance sounds nice

Contrasts with the war described

FRICATIVE, SOUNDS SOFT

Similie 'like silk' contrasts with the iron. Again contrasting materials with the hardness and strength of iron and the soft luxury of silk

Contrasts with the war described

Side-note, the Fox seems to be becoming part of the history at this point rather than an uninterested observer

'fax in his fox coat,/ for at a foxtrot travels this fox/ backwards and forwards in the museum'